Well, clearly I need a better graphics card, this game slows down to a crawl in more graphics-intensive areas.The box states 64MB card is recommended and I only have 32MB...

I formed a typical party just to start exploring:

Dwarf fighterHuman monkHuman clericHalfling rogueElf sorceror

The attribute score system is interesting, you have a choice of rolling stats or using the "point buy" system. You can roll any number of times until you see numbers you like, then stick them in the slots of your choice (strength, wisdom etc.). Point buy is more difficult since the more you put in one stat, the more points it takes to raise the stat, so I've been using roll for each character.

I don't how many hours I've been playing now, but my party just hit level 3 (whoo hoo!).

This game is unforgiving, if you don't know D&D rules, or don't read the manual you will have a HARD time. I'm still learning about the different skills, feats, spells, and numerous combat actions all while working around game flaws and bugs, but it's still pretty fun.

Let me give an example of how complicated this game is. From the manual:

"TOTAL DEFENSE: You can defend yourself as a standard action, which gives a +4 dodge bonus to your AC for one round. Your AC improves at the start of this action, so it helps you against any attacks of opportunity you incur during the round. You can't combine total defense with fighting defensively or with the benefit of the Combat Expertise feat (since both of those require you to declare an attack or full attack). You can't make attacks of opportunity while using total defense."

And this is just one of the Standard Actions, which is a SUBSET of normal actions. Whew.

I cancelled my order at Amazon.com and went to my local Game Stop and bought the only copy they had.I thought I was doing something wrong in the tutorial because I couldn't find the magic icon.Then I came back here and found Schwab was having the same problem. I think they must have leftthe magic icon off the radial menu in the tutorial. I got slaughtered by the zombies while trying to figure out how to move and the time limit thing.I have created my usual two tanks, a cleric, a sorceror and thief party all from scratch. Now,I'm going back to read the manual. Combat seems so confusing with these radial menus.It is beautiful to look at so far and I like the music. I wish the portraits were better;more artsy.

Yea, finally someone else is playing!Debra, those radial menus are pretty ugly to me, but I learned something useful, if you right click-hold on one of the buttons and drag you can move the radial menu around the screen. This helps you see all the options as they "fan" out.

I never really liked the portraits either, and there is a pretty sorry selection too. I assume at some point someone will figure out a way to download custom portraits.I love the Icewind Dale portraits, they spoiled me.

By all means, read the manual. I haven't read the whole thing, I've sort of been playing and reading together. I just won a boss fight with a special attack against a spellcaster called "ready vs. spell" which worked beautifully. I'm not having too much trouble with the combat so far, but I'm going real slow and still getting used to it.

Be sure to do as many quests in Hommlet as you can, they can help level your party up for the combat areas. Unfortunately, the quests aren't too well designed and some of them appear to be un-finishable.

this is really strange that the retail version has the magic icon missing in the tutorial yet in the kazaa download the magic icon was there and i was able to cast magic missile. yet i still got slaughtered by the huge group of zombies in the tutorial.

Well, I've been killing my own people right along.This is the first RPG I've played where you can dothat. The radial menu can cause you to do it ifyou're not careful. I've learned you don't have to use that menu everytime you can just click on the enemy and get the job done.The scenery is beautiful where I am but the townis very strung out. I think I've taken on 10 quests so far; give or take a few.It's hard to come up with money as you can't find it in barrels or on the ground. Some bad guys have some on them. Things are expensive as usualand charisma really matters at the stores to get the best prices. Prices will vary from character to character in your party when you're shopping.I wish I had more potients. My cleric only hasone spell for healing. Trying to sleep is perilous most of the time and it only raise yourHP 1 or 2 at the most.Well, these are my random and scattered thoughtsso far.I am enjoying myself and having fun learning theropes.What do you think so far Schwab? Where have youbeen?

Debra, I was getting tired of running around Hommlet until I noticed that you can hop around the town on the world map, check it out, much faster. You can hop to the north part near the temple, the south part near the inn, or east right near the tower.

The most important skill for buying/selling is "appraise" and my rogue has that skill as well as diplomacy, bluff etc, so she is the spokesperson of the group.

On the subject of healing, do you know about spontaneous casting? If you press SHIFT while in the cleric's radial spell menu, you will see the spells change to all healing spells (different for each level). What I do is memorize all the non-healing spells I want to use (bless, doom, spiritual weapon) and then if I need to, press shift to switch to healing spells and cast. Of course, you lose whatever spell was in that slot. Unless you're an evil cleric, then you would get inflict wounds instead of cure wounds, but I'm assuming your party is good/neutral.

They didn't want to make this game easy at all, your party doesn't completely heal when they rest for 8 hours even if you have a cleric (unlike BG2). If you "rest until healed" your party sleeps for a friggin' week.

Another problem with this game is it doesn't light up doors/chests/loot consistently, so you may miss some stuff. This is a problem with one quest in Hommlet specifically and I had to go to Atari forums to find out what to do...let me know if you get stuck...

Don't worry too much about money, this game is pretty good with the loot once you leave the town and start your killing spree. My party has over $10k gold and we're level 4.

I'm having a blast so far, though some of the fights require the old try/reload/buff/try again to win. We've done the moathouse and we're now in Nulb, a kind of port town not unlike Montaillou in Lionheart.

Thanks for the Shift thing. That will really help.What can you do for an unconscious party member?Nothing seems to help and like you say you cansleep for a week and not heal up plus if you're in the wilderness you just get attacked over and over while trying to heal one member.Right now, I'm just doing a walkabout. I've gotthe quests, but I'm learning the interface. You're right they made it hard, but I'm not havingas much combat difficulty as I did in Lionheart well.....so far One problem I'm having is with a swimming mouse if you know what I mean. It doesn't happen all the time, but when it does it's most inconvenient.